I had my first Hibiscus this summer. It was on clearance in the produce section of Shop Rite because all the leaves had either turned completely yellow or were about to. I brought it home, re-potted it, and placed it next to our back door. My husband was annoyed that I spent $8.99 on a dead tree.

The tree responded to my kindness immediately, producing bunches of shiny new leaves and big, salmon-colored flowers. Actually, “salmon” doesn’t do justice to its flowers, which are the color of a bad bridesmaid’s dress circa 1972. Not that I’m complaining; in the middle of this gray and rainy fall, those flowers just keep coming. Even my husband’s getting a kick out of our little tree’s staying power.

The temperature’s been plummeting at night, so I Googled “Hibiscus” to find out if our long northern New Jersey winters will kill it off. If what I read is true, tropical varieties like mine must be brought inside before the first hard frost. I’m supposed to trim all the branches back to about four inches from the trunk and then place it in front of a very sunny window. The article I read warned that all the leaves will drop, not to be replaced until April. And that it’s likely the tree will never bloom again.

All you wise gardeners out there: has experience taught you that my Google info is correct? And if you’re that smart, could you please come over and help me find just the right spot in our down-sizer’s bungalow for a soon-to-be-bare, five-foot tree with stubby branches?

add your responses

Recent Comments

Losing your mother is indeed a very sad time in anyone's life. I lost mine to cancer 26 years ago, when I was 30. I was expecting my second child, whom she never had the chance to meet.
We got along very well, she was a lovely Mom, cuddly, s
In "Losing Mom: A Life in the Details"

Thanks for these comments. Yes, many women experience a sense of freedom when they reach a stage in life when they are no longer in the spotlight. As for making decisions on ones own, I experienced a great ah-ha moment shortly after Then Husband an
In "guerrilla aging: navigating the third half of life"

I am also at that age, and have the same feelings. . . however, I am not so "totally" in love. . . but sex-drive is gone. . . he is recently retired, I have home based business, and all he thinks about is doing it - and I don't have the desire or the
In "sex"

Hi Sarah:
It sounds like you are still in a possible geographic transition so I would recommend you don't buy a property at this time. However, when you get to where ever you are going you might want to look in to programs for first time home buyer
In "The 59 1/2 IRA Birthday!"

That's interesting. I made good wages through most of my life. Then down sizeing happened. . . . But my social security does not look at those years. Only the last ten years. I had married again, didn't work full time, and so my income was lo
In "The 59 1/2 IRA Birthday!"